FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Media Contact: 

Julia Hillegass, HRPDC Public Information and Community Affairs Administrator

(757) 420-8300; jhillegass@hrpdcva.gov

April 16, 2014

Regional Interoperability is the Key to Emergency Preparedness

Hampton Roads Communications Rodeo highlights local assets

 

(Hampton Roads, Va., April 16, 2014) - Rapid and reliable radio communication among public safety agencies is critical for successful incident management.  The Hampton Roads Interoperability Communications Advisory Committee is holding the First Annual Hampton Roads Interoperable Communications Rodeo next week to showcase local, regional, State, Federal, military, and private sector emergency management communications assets.  Members of the public safety community, elected officials and the media are invited to learn more about these life-saving resources.  Held this year at historic Fort Monroe, the rodeo kicks off at 10 am on Tuesday, April 22.  Attendees can see the latest in public safety technology and learn more about the network of resources in Hampton Roads.

 

"Emergencies occur every day and having effective inter-agency communication can ultimately save both lives and property," advised John Sadler, Regional Emergency Planner.  "Hampton Roads has core communications architecture in place for linking key Federal, State and local agencies in times of emergency, as well as an extensive array of local and regional assets all networked for enhanced, state of the art solutions to incident management.  The rodeo is a great example of regionalism and cooperation between and among public safety agencies in Hampton Roads," Sadler noted.

 

Those interested in attending should RSVP with Lauren Strange at Lauren_Strange@sra.com.

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About the Partners

 

On November 1, 2011, President Barack Obama designated Fort Monroe as a National Monument. The president's proclamation was made in response to the efforts of citizens, historical groups and Virginia politicians who sought to preserve and maintain the historic property.  The Fort is a regional treasure and supports the community by hosting a variety of events year round. 

 

The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Emergency Management (EM) Department serves as a resource to foster and support local and regional strategies that will complement existing emergency management programs in cities and counties throughout Hampton Roads. The overall goal of the department is to help build partnerships that encourage regional cooperation. The Hampton Roads Interoperability Communications Advisory Committee facilitates communication logistics issues region-wide and has developed the regional architecture to link Federal, State and local agencies during times of emergency.

 

For more than 30 years, SRA International has been dedicated to solving complex mission and operational challenges for the U.S. government. SRA supports government clients in civilian, defense, health, intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security agencies by delivering IT solutions and professional services in such areas as information technology lifecycle services; cloud and mobile computing; cyber security; solutions development and integration; and, strategy development and organizational change management.

 

 

 

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